When I'm Lonesome
by AuthoressMegz
Summary: Beginning while the trio are on the run during DH, ending shortly after the defeat of Voldemort, this story takes you through the feelings between Ron & Hermione as their relationship develops. Based on the song "Broken" by Seether.


**Disclaimer**: I do not own Harry Potter or anything you recognize from any of the seven Harry Potter books. I also do not own the song 'Broken' by Seether.

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**Summary**: The story begins during _Deathly Hallows_ while Harry, Ron, and Hermione are on the run. A songfic based on the song 'Broken' by Seether describing the feelings of both Ron and Hermione throughout the months that follow, ending with them back at Hogwarts for their seventh year of school.

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**Author's Note**: I got the idea for this the other day when I was lying in my room doing absolutely nothing productive, listening to my iPod. It kind of skips big chunks of time, but I hope you like it. So here it is. The lines of the song are the lines in _italics_.

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**When I'm Lonesome **

_

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I wanted you to know that I love the way you laugh… _

Hermione smiled as Ron and Harry burst out laughing over something Harry had said. It was one of their first nights on the run, and while the day had started off shaky – Ron positively blowing up at Harry because Harry hadn't been able to get food due to dementors – they were now sitting down to a good meal of some stolen chicken eggs. Well … Hermione wasn't completely sure it was _stealing_ – she _had_ left money.

Ron's laugh was something that could almost always bring a smile to the brunette's face – unless of course it was directed _at_ her. But usually, Hermione really enjoyed hearing his laugh. It was deep and comforting, and it made things seem a little less terrible than they really were. It made her feel safe.

-:-

_I wanna hold you high and steal your pain away… _

Ron was especially crabby. It was his turn to wear the locket Horcrux, which unfortunately coincided with another lack of food, making him particularly nasty. Hermione knew he wasn't used to such discomforts – sleeping on lumpy bunks and having hardly any food. He was used to his own bed in his own home, and had always had three full meals a day. She knew it was hard for him, and she wanted to find a way to help him, but that didn't change the fact that his cruelty and grumpiness was beginning to get to her.

It wasn't just the lack of food that was bothering him though. Hermione knew it was his arm too, which still pained him no matter how hard he tried to hide it. She felt bad, because it _had_ been her fault that he'd gotten splinched after all. She wished there was a way to make him feel better. She had a feeling that if something didn't change soon, they'd all pay for it.

-:-

_I keep your photograph and I know it serves me well… _

Hermione sighed. Why had Ron left? She knew that he had suffered the most out of all of them throughout the trip, but she'd never expected him to _leave_.

She gazed at the small photo of him that she kept. It was actually of all three of them, but it was only Ron she was focused on at the moment. She almost smiled at the sight of his grinning, freckled face, but then she remembered that he'd walked away. He'd left them. Her smile disappeared before it even had a chance to get started.

"Oh Ron," she sighed. "Why'd you have to do that?"

She got no answer from the laughing face of Ron Weasley in the photograph.

-:-

_I wanna hold you high and steal your pain… _

Ron was lying flat on his back on his bed in the room Bill was letting him stay in, staring at the ceiling forlornly. His arm had been charmed back to as good as new by Fleur, so at least that wasn't paining him anymore. But he did feel absolutely awful about leaving Harry and Hermione. He'd tried to find them again, almost as soon as he'd realized his mistake, but they'd already gone from their camping site. So he'd returned home with a heavy heart.

He couldn't even imagine how angry Hermione must be at him right now. She'd probably kill him if he ever caught up with them again. He wished he could hold her right now. God, he felt so lonely. Hermione, he thought bitterly, was probably just fine with _Harry_. She probably didn't even miss him.

Rolling over onto his side, Ron sighed. He sincerely hoped she was okay, even if she didn't miss him. He hoped she wasn't in pain, wherever she was.

-:-

_'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome… _

Hermione bit her lip as she did her best to stifle her crying. Harry had just come back into the tent for the night after his watch. Across the room, she could hear him settling down on his own bunk.

"You're turn to keep watch, Hermione," he reminded her. She simply nodded and stood up, keeping her back to him. She grabbed her wand and went to sit in the entrance to the tent, hoping that by the time she got there, Harry would be almost asleep.

She sat on the hard ground and drew her legs up to her chest, resting her chin on the top of her knees. Wrapping her arms around her legs, she did her best to stay silent as the tears that had been pressing against the back of her eyes let loose, streaming down her face.

_And I don't feel right when you're gone away… _

It wasn't fair. She missed Ron so much. Sure, he'd spent half his time complaining and being a right pain, but … she still missed him. Terribly. So much that it felt as though part of her very soul had been torn out when he'd gone.

She hoped her crying wouldn't alert Harry, of if it did, he'd just leave her well enough alone. She knew he cared about her – in a brotherly sort of way – but right now she didn't want his comfort. She hated to admit it, but she wanted _Ron_ right now. She wanted him to come out of the darkness and wrap his arms around her and tell her that everything was fine, he wasn't going anywhere ever again.

Hermione would never admit it, even to herself, but without Ron there … she was _scared_.

_You've gone away … you don't feel me here anymore… _

-:-

_The worst is over now, and we can breathe again… _

It was over. The war was done. Voldemort had been defeated. The Great Hall was overflowing with those who had perished in the final battle, their family members coming to mourn, but Hermione still had Ron. And Harry, of course – thank goodness, or that would mean they wouldn't have won.

But Hermione had Ron, and she felt just a little better about all the deaths that had taken place. She didn't know what she would have done if she'd lost him, her best friend and the one boy – man – that she'd ever truly loved.

She leaned against him now and closed her eyes, and he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close.

"It's finally over," he whispered, half in awe. Hermione just leaned her head against his shoulder and sighed.

"I'm so glad I still have you," she murmured back. His arm tightened around her as he hugged her.

"Me too."

_I wanna hold you high, you steal my pain away… _

Hermione's arms circled around Ron as she hugged him back. She had to hold him to remind herself that he was really there. She hadn't lost him. She hadn't really lost anyone. Well, Fred had died, and that was horrible, but Hermione hadn't been particularly close to him. She felt devastated for Ron's family, but she herself was not completely distressed. She still had those who meant most to her.

-:-

_There's so much left to learn, and no one left to fight… _

Hermione felt strange being on the Hogwarts Express, going back to Hogwarts to retake the seventh year she'd never attended. But it wasn't so bad – most of the students of Hogwarts were choosing to retake their latest school year, as they hadn't actually _learned_ much of anything while Death Eaters had run the place.

She felt proud though – McGonagall had chosen her as Head Girl, and with Ron as Head Boy, she was sure the year would be interesting. Ron was currently kicking Harry's sorry butt at chess, as was custom, and Harry was looking perfectly content to be losing, not seeming at all upset about not being chosen for Head Boy, despite the fact that this meant he was not following in his father's footsteps.

The three of them looked up sharply when the door to their carriage slid open to reveal none other than Draco Malfoy, though they were all thoroughly surprised to find he was alone. Instinctively, Ron and Hermione drew their wands despite this fact, but when they saw Harry had not, they faltered.

"Malfoy," Harry said curtly. Malfoy glanced at both Hermione and Ron before resting his eyes on Harry.

"I … just wanted to … thank you, Potter," he said stiltedly. While Ron and Hermione exchanged confused glances, Harry shrugged rather modestly.

"It's fine," he muttered.

"Good. I … I guess I'll see you then," Malfoy replied. He gave a brief nod before disappearing down the corridor, leaving two members of the trio looking at each other rather stupidly.

"What was that about?" Ron demanded as he stood to shut the door. Harry offered them half a smile.

"I think that was Malfoy showing he was just as human as the rest of the world," he said. "He was thanking me for saving his life … I think."

"Well, what do you know?" Ron said with a grin. "Malfoy actually _thanking_ someone."

The three of them laughed at the absurdity of it all.

-:-

_I wanna hold you high and steal your pain… _

Hermione watched Ron from the other side of the common room. He was sitting in an armchair near the fire, just staring into the flames with a blank look on his face. Hermione knew he was thinking of Fred. He always looked like that when he was thinking about Fred. Laying aside her Arithmancy homework, Hermione stood and crossed the room.

"Ron?" she said softly, so as not to surprise him. He looked up at her and a tiny smile flicked across his face. Hermione settled onto the arm of his chair, and his arm slid around her waist.

"I'm okay," he assured her softly. "Really. How could I not be? I've got you," he said with a smile. Hermione smiled back as he leaned in to kiss her.

_Because I'm broken when I'm open… _

"I don't know what I'd do without you," he whispered. "I never want to be separated from you again."

Hermione smiled at him, sure that he was remembering the days she'd been on the run with Harry, while Ron had been sulking in his room at Bill's. She'd fully forgiven him by this time of course, but she knew he still felt guilty for leaving.

"You won't be," she said simply.

_And I don't feel like I am strong enough… _

"Promise?" he asked, suddenly dead serious. Hermione smiled at him again and laced her fingers with his.

"I promise."

_And I'm broken when I'm lonesome… _

"I love you," he whispered. Hermione looked at him in surprise, but a smile was slowly creeping across her face.

_And I don't feel right when you're gone away... _

"I love you too," she murmured, kissing him softly. "And I'll never leave you," she added in a whisper. "I promise."**

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A/N**: It skipped about a lot. And I left out the final line of the song, because I couldn't make it work. But I think it turned out right. What do you think? Please review!


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